Khichdi is rice and yellow lentils cooked together in one pot until thick enough to eat with a spoon. In India, it is comfort food for people who are sick, children, and tired evenings; that is why it is mildly spiced and finished with 1 spoonful of melted butter. Briefly toasting the lentils in a dry pan is the recipe’s one special detail, adding a nutty depth to the porridge.
Rinse the rice and yellow lentils separately 3–4 times, until the water runs clear. Cloudy rinse water is starch from the surface; khichdi should be porridge-like but not sticky. Drain both and set aside.
Put the drained lentils in a dry skillet and toast over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Do not let them change color; toast only until fragrant and dry enough to flow freely. This 5-minute step is what sets khichdi apart from plain porridge.
Melt half the butter (20 g) in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for 20 seconds. Add the asafoetida, grated ginger, and finely chopped green chili and stir for 1 minute. Continue once the raw smell of the ginger is gone.
Add the diced carrot and peas to the pot and stir for 3 minutes. The vegetables do not need to cook through yet; they will cook with the porridge. Add the turmeric and stir for 20 seconds.
Add the rice and toasted lentils to the pot and stir with the oil for 1 minute. Pour in 1,100 ml water and add the salt. Once it boils, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook with the lid slightly ajar, scraping the bottom occasionally. The right consistency spreads slowly when spooned onto a plate but does not run; thin it with hot water if it gets too thick.
Grind in the black pepper and stir in the chopped cilantro. Melt the remaining 20 g butter and drizzle it into the center of each bowl—here, butter is not just a garnish; it softens the porridge’s texture. Serve hot; it will absorb liquid and firm up as it sits.
After rinsing the rice and lentils, soak them in water for 20 minutes; soaked grains cook evenly and need less water to reach a porridge consistency.
Mercimeği kuru kavurma adımı kokuyu tamamen değiştiriyor. Asafoetida bulamayan bir diş sarımsak ezip koysun, aynısı olmasa da boşluğu dolduruyor. Zerdeçalı mercimekle birlikte kaynatmak rengi eşitliyor, sonradan atınca bir kaşıkta sarı bir kaşıkta soluk çıkıyor.
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